This Obese Alcoholic Meets A Random Girl On A Mobile App. What She Did To Him Shocked Everyone

Jun

03

2015

Brian Fleming was a depressed man, he was morbidly obese and a severe alcoholic. Brian would deal with his depression by over eating and drinking away his sadness. Doctors said he had only had a few years to live on his current lifestyle…

Brian’s diet consisted of fast food every single day and he drank lots of vodka at night. By now, he was 30, played video games aimlessly for hours at a time, and had dropped out of college. But then he met Jackie.

In a game of Draw Something, Brian and Jackie were randomly matched off against each other. After a few games, Brian confided to her about his weight, depression and alcohol issues, expecting sympathy in return.

But Jackie surprised him with a tough stance – “bloody hell, you’re a guy who’s 30…and you’re wasting your life” said Jackie. You see, Jackie had a problem as well – she had myotonic muscular dystrophy, a condition which severely affected her quality of life. She continued: “My future is a lot gloomier. I’m trying to make the brightest future I can, and… you’re dragging yourself down”

Her words might not seem that shocking on the surface but for Brian, it really struck him. And the effects shocked everyone.

For Brian, it was a huge wake up call. He faced up to himself and made huge lifestyle changes – starting with cutting out alcohol cold turkey. Not a single drop. Just by cutting out alcohol, Brian was able to lose 100lbs in a month. But that wasn’t enough.

Brian knew Jackie didn’t take life for granted and did as much as she could even though her condition made her muscles really weak. Using Jackie as his inspiration, he started off exercising at home as he was too embarrassed to go out. Month by month, he continued losing weight and getting healthier.

Just over a year after their lucky meeting on Draw Something, Brian and Jackie finally met in person. Brian flew to Europe to meet his hero, and the pair climbed the stairs to the top of the Eiffel Tower together.

Jackie was there to support him every step of the way, always encouraging Brian to go the extra mile.

Brian’s now a keen runner and is even preparing for his first full marathon! Brian says: “Jackie is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I feel that she saved my life, even though she would never take credit.” What a remarkable change in Brian in such a short space of time – not just physically but mentally and emotionally. It’s never too late to change, it all starts with the first step.

If you’re inspired by Brian and Jackie’s amazing story, please share this with your friends today.